Letting Students Build Applets: Authentic Assessment in Action

One of the most meaningful shifts I’ve made in my courses is moving from “show me you memorized this” to “show me you understand this.” Letting students create their own interactive applets—even simple ones—has become one of the most powerful ways to do that.

Compass Coach Applet

When students build an applet to practice or demonstrate a physics concept, they are no longer passive users of technology. They become designers, testers, and explainers of ideas. To make an applet work, they must clarify assumptions, define variables, think about cause-and-effect relationships, and anticipate how someone else might interact with their model. That process requires a much deeper level of conceptual understanding than solving a traditional end-of-chapter problem.

From an assessment perspective, student-created applets are a strong example of authentic assessment. They mirror how scientists, engineers, and educators actually work: building models, visualizing systems, refining based on feedback, and communicating results. The final product is important, but the learning really happens in the decision-making along the way—why a parameter behaves the way it does, what happens when limits are pushed, and how the visualization connects back to core principles.

These projects are also naturally inclusive and flexible. Students can approach them at different levels of complexity: some focus on clean visuals and conceptual clarity, others add data output, sliders, or edge cases. This allows students with diverse strengths—analytical, creative, or technical—to demonstrate learning in ways that feel meaningful to them.

Another unexpected benefit is reflection. When students explain their applet—either in writing or a short video—they articulate not just what happens, but why. Misconceptions surface quickly, giving instructors rich formative feedback and opportunities for coaching rather than simple grading.

Ultimately, letting students create applets shifts assessment from a checkpoint to a learning experience. It communicates a powerful message: understanding isn’t about selecting the right answer—it’s about building, testing, and explaining ideas. For many students, that’s the moment physics (or any STEM concept) stops feeling abstract and starts feeling real.